The present invention relates to a line reserving system for a multipoint teleconference.
In a multipoint teleconference, a communication line is reserved when a user of the system transmits predetermined information from a teleconference terminal apparatus to a center of the system. To achieve the line reservation, the conventional multipoint teleconference system includes a computer on each side of the teleconference terminal and the teleconference center. Namely, a communication line is reserved through an intercommunication between the computers.
FIG. 1 shows in a block diagram a conventional example of the multipoint teleconference system. In this connection, the configuration of FIG. 1 primarily includes constituent elements directly associated with the line reservation. Other known components related to the teleconference are not shown or are shown in a simplified fashion.
The teleconference system 102 includes a plurality of teleconference terminal apparatuses 106 mutually connected to each other via an integrated services digital network (ISDN) 104 and a center 108 connected via the ISDN 104 to the teleconference systems 102 teleconference terminal apparatuses 106). Each terminal apparatus 106 includes a user terminal 110, an input device 112, and a television monitor 114. On the other hand, the center 108 includes a center terminal 116 and a multipoint teleconference controller 118. Furthermore, the teleconference terminal 106 includes a computer 120 and the center 108 includes a computer 122. The computers 120 and 122 are connected to each other via a local area network (LAN) 124.
The user terminal 110 of the terminal apparatus 106 fundamentally includes functions for the teleconference such as a function for the encoding and decoding of video and audio signals, a function for the connection to the ISDN 104, and a function to process signals received from the input device 112. Similarly, the center terminal 108 includes fundamental functions for the teleconference, for example, a function for the encoding and decoding of video and audio signals and a function for the connection to the ISDN 104.
As is well known, the teleconference terminal 106 operates under supervision of the controller 118 of the center 108 to receive video and audio signals via the ISDN 104 so as to present images of users and the like on the monitor screen 114 for the teleconference.
Before a teleconference is held, the user is required to reserve a communication line for the conference. The line reservation is accomplished by the computer 120 of the terminal apparatus 106. Concretely, the user operates the input device 112 in a predetermined manner to display a screen image for line reservation on the monitor 114.
The image includes input fields for time of the teleconference, a user""s name, a name of a user to attend the conference, and the like. From the input device 112, the terminal user inputs information necessary for each field of the image. As a result, the computer 120 recognizes the details of the line reservation and then sends the inputted information via the LAN 124 to the computer 122 of the center 108. The computer 122 reserves lines in accordance with the information from the computer 120 to establish connections of lines from the teleconference terminal 106 to the controller 118.
The line reservation above is essential for a smooth operation of the teleconference and hence an ordinary multipoint teleconference system includes the line reserving function.
However, since the line reservation above requires the computers 120 and 122 dedicated for the reservation and the LAN 124, the conventional multipoint teleconference system 102 becomes expensive. Moreover, for example, when the software installed in the computer 120 is to be updated for a higher performance of the line reservation, an engineer is required to visit each installation site of the teleconference terminal 106 for the update of the software.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, which has been devised to remove the drawback above, to provide a line reserving system for a multipoint teleconference in which the computer dedicated for the line reservation for each teleconference terminal apparatus becomes unnecessary. This leads to decrease in the cost and increase in maintainability.
To achieve the object in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a line reserving system for a multipoint teleconference including a plurality of reserving terminals connected to each other via communication lines and a reservation center. The reservation center includes image generating means for generating image information to display a list of numeric and nonnumeric characters or a list of numeric or numeric characters and the reserving terminal includes a display, image display means for receiving via the communication line the image information from the image generating means of the reservation center and displaying in a screen of the display a list of numeric and nonnumeric characters or a list of numeric or numeric characters in accordance with the received image information, input device capable of a position input operation and a selection determining operation pointer display means for displacing a pointer image at a position of the screen indicated by positional information generated by the input device in response to the position input operation conducted from the input device, and information transmitting means for transmitting via the communication line to the reservation center the positional information being produced from the input device when the selection determining operation is conducted in the input device. The reservation center further includes information receiving means for receiving via the communication line the positional information from the information transmitting means of the reserving terminal and line reserving means for reserving communication lines in accordance with the image information created from the image generating means and the positional information received by the information receiving means.
In the line reserving system for a multipoint teleconference in accordance with the present invention, the image generating means of the reservation center generates image information to display numerals or characters in a list or both of numerals and characters in a list. In the reservation terminal, the image display means receives the image information via the communication line from the image generating means and then displays in accordance with the received information a list of numerals or characters or a list of both of numerals and characters. On the other hand, when a user inputs a position from the input device, the input device outputs positional information in response to the operation. The pointer display means displays a pointer image on a screen of the display at a position indicated by the positional information.
While visually checking the image of the screen of the display, the user operates the input device to move the pointer image to a position of a desired numeral or character and then conducts a selection determining operation. Then, the information transmitting means sends positional information being produced from the input device via the communication line to the reservation center. In the center, the information receiving means receives the position information and the line reserving means reserves lines in accordance with the image information generated by the image generating means and the positional information received by the information receiving means.
Consequently, for example, when a value of time is to be specified for the teleconference, the user moves the pointer image over numerals indicating the time in a sequential manner and conducts the selection determining operation for each of the numeral. Resultantly, positional information of the numerals representing the time is sent to the reservation center. When information of the reserving user is to be sent to the reservation center, it is only necessary for the user to similarly select numerals representing, e.g., an identification number of the reservation terminal being operated. Furthermore, when a name of the user is to be notified to the center, the user need only select characters representing the name in the similar manner. In addition, to report persons attending the teleconference, it is only required to send, for example, an identification number of each teleconference terminal to the reservation center in accordance with the procedure above.
In the center, the numeric and/or nonnumeric characters selectively inputted by the user from the reservation terminal can be recognized in accordance with the positional information received by the information receiving means.
The objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a conventional teleconference system;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a line reserving system for a multipoint teleconference in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of the line reservation system of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a screen of a television monitor;
FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an example an image including a pointer image displayed in a television monitor screen; and
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing positional information which is to be transmitted from an information transmitting means.